Places we go, things we do

New England “Texas” BBQ

My fellow blogger Naomi loves to take me to real Texas BBQ when I come visit her in Texas. I have to admit, I like pork BBQ more than brisket, but Texans do know their BBQ. My first visit to the great state of Texas, Naomi asked me on the way home from the airport if I wanted a little something to eat. We stopped at Pappas Bar-B-Q. I wasn’t very hungry so I ordered a baked potato with BBQ on top. I learned what people meant by “Texas sized” when the potato turned out to be the size of a football. It was so delicious with the BBQ topping I almost finished it all.

A good menu! My favorites!

Sadly, New Hampshire doesn’t have the same BBQ reputation or selection as Texas. Still, recently my husband and I were driving near Exeter NH and saw a BBQ place we thought we should try.

Goody Cole’s Smokehouse in Brentwood NH was about as good as BBQ gets in the North. I knew it was good when I walked in and it just smelled so delicious my mouth started watering. The red checked table clothes are pure Texas BBQ tradition, as were the taxidermy heads. I never mind dead animals watching me eat my food.

Why so grumpy raccoon?Well, yeah your head is on a wall…

I have to say that raccoon is the grumpiest I have ever seen (dead or alive). The license plate decor was also a nice touch.

The BBQ, yes we both ordered pork, was fabulous. I reported back to Naomi on our discovery. She almost gave approval, except when I told her about the beans. The beans were truly the best beans I had ever eaten. They had been slow cooked in a traditional New England bean pot. (I own one I bought at a yard sale, you can’t buy new a truly good Cape Cod style bean pot). The beans had a hint of maple syrup but not so much that they were super sweet. These beans were strong enough to be a main dish, they weren’t runny or watery at all. The beans were a wonderful blend of smokey goodness with a hint of maple.

Naomi objected, real BBQ had beans with a jalapeno bite, not sweetness! So sadly, the restaurant fails to pass as authentic Texas BBQ. However, the restaurant beans were a wonderful New England inclusion to the traditional Texas fare. I’m not saying Cape Cod beans are better than Texas beans, but these beans were truly heaven on a plate.

Pork yum, and the sides were fabulousif not Texas correct

I’m happy to find a restaurant I will make a point of visiting again when I am in the Exeter NH area. I may even take Naomi when she comes to visit, so she can learn while New Englanders can’t teach Texans much about BBQ, we might be able to hold our own with our beans.

Happy hog at the restaurant.He sees how happy pork makes people!He did not die in vain!

4 replies

Thanks for the awesome post!
LOVE LOVE LOVE it! We have been open for over 10 yrs and tried many different bean recipes…this is the ONE our customers LOVE and we are sticking with it 😉 Being a Texan myself…I can say, with confidence, we are the MOST authentic BBQ you’re gonna find in New England! The most rewarding part of the business is hearing Texans compare Goody’s to the best of the best in Texas 🙂
Thanks for coming in and be sure to bring Naomi back for some real Texas BBQ!
And yes, Geek Goddess the corn bread is SWEET and DELICIOUS 🙂